climate
Boswellia trees grow in low evergreen tropical forests, laurel forests,
tropical and subtropical mountain rainforests but also in tropical mountain
cloud forests in high humidity.
soil
Boswellia trees grow best in a fast-draining sandy soil that retains water
but does not stay saturated. Good drainage is essential for these plants.
growing
Boswellia seeds are best to germinate in the spring, however, within a
controlled environment; they will germinate any time of year. To germinate
the seeds, it is best to use a well-drained soil and set the seeds on top of
the soil with pumice to cover the seeds. The soil must be kept moist at all
times until the seeds germinate. The key to successfully germinating these
seeds is high humidity and high temperature (90 degrees and higher). The
germination rate of Boswellia seeds in cultivation is between 0 to 8%, a
very poor germination rate.
harvesting
Frankincense is tapped from the scraggly but hardy trees by slashing the
bark, which is called striping, and allowing the exuded resin to bleed out
and harden. These hardened resins are called Frankincense tears. It takes about 8–10
years for a tree to be ready to produce resin.
The season for gathering lasts from May till the middle of September, when the
first shower of rain puts a close to the gathering for that year.
preserving
The dried frankincense tears should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
